FPCCI, ACCI discuss bilateral trade

LAHORE: Zaki Aijaz, regional chairman and vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), emphasised the potential for increased bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan during a meeting with an Afghan trade delegation at the FPCCI regional office in Lahore.

"The trade relations with neighboring countries are essential, and it is very important to have a banking channel to promote bilateral trade," Aijaz said. He also stressed the need for measures to curb smuggling, which he said was detrimental to the domestic economy.

The Afghan delegation was led by Khan Jan Alokozai, a board member of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and co-chairman of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI).

Alokozai praised the roles of the FPCCI and ACCI in fostering bilateral trade and commended the Islamic Chamber of Commerce. He called for the elimination of tariffs and taxes on agricultural products from both countries to boost trade.

“Pakistan is our second home; our culture and language are one,” Alokozai said. He expressed a willingness to increase trade with Pakistan and noted that 70 percent of trade between the two countries is conducted through Lahore, where pharmaceuticals, rice, auto parts, and other items are exported to Afghanistan.

Alokozai also mentioned that Afghanistan is promoting its private sector and acknowledged that political instability between the two countries affects mutual trade.The delegation encouraged Pakistani investors to invest in Afghanistan, noting that Pakistanis can work in mining and other sectors with ownership rights, while foreign investors must partner with an Afghan national.